Rory's Promise (16 page)

“You'll never get Violet,” whispered Rory as she crawled under the table to coax Violet back into the room.

Sister Anna beckoned to Mrs. Chacon to come translate for her as she confronted the priest. “Father Mandin, we must stop for tonight. You and I have to talk about what just happened.”

The Mexican women began to whisper among themselves. Sister Eileen and the nurses gathered the children close and waited anxiously for Father Mandin's answer.

“Continue with the adoptions,” he commanded.

“But Father …”

“These arrangements have been made months ago. I
asked my parishioners to take the children and they agreed out of the kindness of their hearts. It would insult them to delay.”

Sister Anna started to read the next name, but her voice caught in her throat. She took a small sip of water and tried again. “Josephine Ryan.”

Elena took a deep breath and beckoned to the children. “I'm going to get the children home before there are any more scenes,” she said.

“Where do you live?” Rory asked quickly.

“Quite close to here.”

William went to her willingly, but Violet hung back. “It's all right, Vi,” Rory whispered, nudging her forward.

Clinging to Rory's hand, Violet spoke directly to Elena, “Rory's promised not to leave me. Can she come too?”

“Of course, if she wants to,” Elena said.

Rory wasn't sure if Elena was only being polite, but she didn't care. “I do.” Rory made sure Sister Anna was fully occupied with the next placement. “Let's go.”

Elena glanced at Sister Anna. “You won't be missed?”

“They won't even notice I've left.”

H
UGGING HER
ARMS TO HER
B
ODY, RORY LOOKED UP, BUT THE smoke from the smelter blocked out the sky. Having spent her whole life in a city, it was disappointing to still not see a full sky of stars. In
Wild West Weekly
the cowboys always talked about the stars when they sat around the campfire.

“Rory, I'm cold.”

“I'll warm you up.” Rory scooped Violet up in her arms and followed Elena, who was moving quickly along the street as fast as William's legs could take him. Most of the windows of the buildings were dark. The only light was the lamp in Elena's hand. How could people live without streetlights?

William began to whine about the walk, the cold, and how hungry he still was.

“You just ate,” Rory chided him.

“It's not far,” Elena told him. She glanced back and saw Rory carrying Violet. “William, why don't I pick you up? And when we get home, I have a special sweet dessert.”

“Really sweet?” William asked, holding out his arms.

“Did you hear that?” Rory whispered, Violet's ear close to her lips. “Elena has dessert for you.”

“I do like dessert,” Violet said. “But Rory, you'll stay, won't you?”

Rory wanted to stop the quiver she saw in Violet's lower lip. Frankly, if she didn't have Violet to look after, Rory would have been tempted to cry too. “I have to go back with the Sisters tonight. But I like Elena and I think you will too. If you don't, we'll have a long talk with Sister Anna. All right, Vi?” She nuzzled her little sister's neck.

“You promised we'd stay together,” said Violet.

Rory put Violet down and arched her sore back. When did Violet get so heavy? “I know, Vi,” Rory said. “Let's see how tonight goes, all right?”

Violet shook her head.

“No. I want you.”

“Oh, Vi,” Rory groaned.

“We're home,” said Elena, stopping in front of a small house with narrow windows. She put William on the ground and felt in her pocket for the key. A large figure emerged from the shadows on the porch. Rory pulled Violet behind her and tensed to meet the new threat.

“Children, it's all right!” Elena reassured them. “It's my husband, Ramon.”

The figure moved into the light spilled by her lantern. Ramon had a mustache and wore the clothes and hat of a workingman. Darker than Elena, he looked exactly like one of the cowboys in Rory's
Wild West Weekly
. Rory wasn't sure
if he was one of the good guys or not, until he swept his hat off his head and gave Elena a big kiss.

“These are our children?” he asked.

Elena nodded, smiling, and gestured. “Violet and William.” Ramon jerked his head toward Rory.

“This is Rory,” Elena said.

Ramon raised his eyebrows, but he was more interested in meeting Violet and William than an explanation. He knelt in the dirt so he would be face-to-face with them. He offered his hand. “Hello, little ones. My name is Ramon.”

Violet pressed her body against Rory's legs, watching Ramon with huge eyes, but William took the outstretched hand and shook it.

“Ramon, I thought you were working tonight,” Elena said.

“And miss the children's arrival?” he asked simply. His accent was heavier than Elena's, but Rory could understand him if she listened hard.

“Why didn't you just come to the church?” Elena asked.

He pressed his fingers to his temples. “That Father Mandin gives me a headache. Eight months he's been in Clifton and he still can't speak a language anyone understands?”

“I thought the same thing!” Rory said, unable to keep quiet any longer. “How can he do his job if he can't talk to anyone?”

Ramon twisted his neck to look up at Rory. “And who are you, young lady?”

Elena said, “This is Violet's sister. She came to make sure Violet has a good home.”

He smiled slowly and nodded. “Then we should show
Rory around.” He unlocked the thick door. Inside, the room was completely dark. He took the lantern from his wife and hung it from a large nail in the rafter in the center of the room. It cast wild shadows on the walls, illuminating in turn a plain crucifix on one wall and a colorful rug on another.

Violet tugged on Rory's sleeve. “Where are the lights?” she asked in a tiny voice.

Rory pointed. “That is the light. They don't have gas or electricity here.”

Violet began to whimper. “Look, Vi, you can reach the ceiling,” Rory said, to distract her. She lifted Violet until her fingers touched the rough plaster.

“I want to try too,” William said.

“Come on, little man,” Ramon said, swinging William onto his shoulders. William squealed and slapped his hands on the ceiling.

“Ramon, be careful, he'll hit his head,” Elena scolded, but she couldn't help laughing.

Rory noticed that there wasn't much furniture in the room, only a small table with a bench along the wall and two stools. In the corner was a tall wardrobe for storage. Curtains separated two smaller rooms from the main one. The bright colors in the tablecloth shone even in the lantern light. It wasn't fancy but it was spotless. There was a shelf with plates and bowls. Exactly four of them. Well, Rory could share Violet's.

High on the wall behind the table was a painting of the Virgin Mary. Rory glanced from the picture to Elena—no,
she hadn't mistaken the resemblance. Maybe Father Mandin was right. If everyone was a good Catholic, then they had that in common, no matter what.

“Why don't you girls sit down on the bench,” Elena said lightly. “William's a big boy. He can sit on the stool here.” Ramon swung William to the floor and William happily clambered up onto the stool closest to the stove.

Rory sat down on the bench and pulled Violet onto her lap. There was a small plate on the table, covered in a white cloth.

“Here are the sweets I promised.
Cochinitos
—little pigs.” Elena took the cloth off the plate to reveal white pig-shaped cookies. William laughed and bit off a curly tail. Violet ate her cookie with one hand, mouthing the word
cochinito
. With the other she traced the embroidered flowers on the cloth.

“Have as many as you like.” Rory rather liked how Elena's smile reached her eyes. “We don't usually have treats just before bedtime, but tonight is special.”

Ramon shook the fire in the iron stove to life with a poker. The stove was small, but it warmed the room quickly. Rory watched and approved. She had few memories of her father, but one was of him carrying firewood for her mother.

As the chill left Rory's body, she noticed that the uneven wood floors in the rooms were brightened with rugs unlike any she had ever seen before.

“What are the rugs made of?” Rory asked.

“I made them by weaving colored rags together,” Elena
said. “Violet, if you like, I can teach you how.”

Violet nodded, but her eyelids were growing heavy. William yawned and put his head on the table.

“Let's get them to bed,” Elena said. “They'll sleep here.” She brushed aside a curtain to reveal an alcove with two small beds made of rough wood, but cozy with thick cotton blankets. “We have our own privy out back if they need to relieve themselves.”

Ramon carried William into the alcove bedroom, but as soon as Elena tried to pick up Violet, she cried for Rory.

“Hush, Vi. It's all right. I'm here.” Rory undressed her sister and put her in the nightgown Elena provided.

“She's just tired,” Rory offered. “Vi didn't mean anything by it.”

“She'll get used to me,” Elena said as if she was trying to reassure herself.

“Of course she will,” Rory said.

They returned to the main room and sat at the table. Ramon was drinking a glass of beer. “Sit down, Rory,” he said. “I would have known you were Violet's sister anywhere. You have the same wonderful hair.”

“You don't mind red hair?” Rory asked. “Some people think it means we have a bad temper, but we don't … not usually.”

Ramon threw back his head and laughed.

“Ramon, the children are sleeping!” Elena hushed him with a smile, then she explained, “My grandmother was from Scotland, Rory. She had hair like yours. And a temper …
but not usually.” Rory and Elena smiled at each other. “That is why I asked for a little girl with red hair.”

Rory touched her own red braids. “So it's all right with you if your children don't look like you?”

Elena and Ramon exchanged looks. “In America,” Ramon said, “it will be better for our children to look less Mexican and more like you.”

Elena was clearing the plates from the table; when Rory caught her eye, she nodded in agreement.

Rory nibbled on the last cookie and considered. Sister Anna thought parents and children had to look alike to be a family. Rory had never heard Ramon's point of view before.

She started to speak but went silent when Ramon held up his hand and moved toward the door. Although Rory had not heard anyone climb the steps, there was a soft knocking at the door. Unconcerned, Elena continued to wipe the table. Ramon opened the door just a crack and whispered, then shut the door and turned to face his wife, his expression solemn.

“What's wrong?” Rory asked.

Ramon kept his eyes fixed on Elena. “There's a problem.” He paused. “The Anglos want the babies.”

Elena scrubbed the table so hard Rory thought she might wear a hole in it. “They cannot have them!” she said in a low growl. “The Father has assigned them all to us. Because we are good Catholics.” She looked to the Virgin Mary on the wall and crossed herself.

Ramon said, “The Anglos don't think the white babies belong with people like us.”

“Why shouldn't the children be with you?” Rory asked.

Elena and Ramon exchanged a knowing look. “There's bad feeling between the Anglos and Mexicans in Clifton,” Ramon said. “Last year we went on strike for better wages and decent working conditions. It almost came to violence. And now there is no trust between us and them.”

“Did the strike work?” Rory asked. “Did conditions improve?”

“Not enough,” Ramon said, and the bleakness in his voice was reflected in his face.

“Why did you stay then?” Rory asked.

“We would have left long ago,” Elena said. “But Father Mandin offered us the chance to have a family.”

“So you waited for us,” Rory said. “Well, for them.” She looked toward the alcove where William and Violet were fast asleep.

Ramon reached out and took his wife's hand.

“It's that Mrs. Gatti,” Rory said. “She's causing all the trouble.”

Elena agreed. “She's getting the women all riled up.”

Rory mouthed the words “riled up.” She recognized that expression from the
Wild West Weekly.
“Like a den of rattlesnakes?”

“Yes, exactly like snakes,” Ramon said with a quick smile that soon disappeared. “The Anglos want to know why they weren't aware of the children.”

“Because they don't go to church!” Elena spoke sharply. “Father Mandin asked only the faithful. He said the most
important thing is that the children be raised in the Church.”

“Do you believe that?” Ramon looked at Rory. “I mean, do the Sisters?”

“They did when we got here,” Rory said, staring down at her hands in her lap. “But I'm not sure now. Sister Anna is worried that the children don't look anything like their new families.”

“In a family where there is love and God, nothing else matters,” Elena said.

His mouth set in a tight line, Ramon said, “The Anglos won't see it that way. They'll see only filthy Mexicanos stealing white children.” He spat the word
Mexicano
like it was a curse.

“What will you do?” Rory asked, inching her bottom to the edge of her seat.

“Trust in God and the Virgin Mother,” Elena said, her eyes fixed on the picture on the wall.

Ramon dragged a chair over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room. He climbed up and pulled a rifle down from the top of the wardrobe. “I'd rather put my trust in this.”